The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for forming rigid composite tubing, and more specifically for forming complexly shaped rigid composite tubing in a single-line operation.
Aircraft engines utilize tubing to convey fluids within the engine. Conventionally, such tubing is metallic. One problem with metallic tubing is that it can be heavy and difficult to shape as required. Lighter tubing can be made of composite material. One problem with composite tubing is that it is expensive and difficult to shape. In addition, conventional methods for shaping composite tubing often require separate tooling for each shape and length of composite tubing.